Processors
Good Morning,
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Most of us understand that there is a difference between a Mac and a PC. Each computer processes information differently. Both get the job done (I guess — I have only owned Macs), but the process is different.
When a person who is raised in the inner city hears something or faces something, they respond differently than I would because I was raised in the mountains of northern California. Those who are raised in the city might fear to be alone in the woods; I would fear to walk down an inner-city street alone. We respond differently and process information differently.
When children or animals have been hit often enough, they will flinch when they notice a raised hand. On the other hand, I was raised in a good home, and it would never cross my mind that someone might strike me. Those in our military who have seen terrible combat will respond differently than I would, having been a civilian.
We had a man saved in our church who had been involved in breaking into enemy prison camps and rescuing certain American prisoners. His world was one of killing and sudden violence. The most violence I ever faced was on the basketball court; therefore, that man and I will respond differently.
Follow my thinking: The way we process information and situations varies according to our training. Schools train us how to think and how to process given information. The Bible teaches us to process information from a godly perspective. Secular schools train a student to process information from a secular, godless viewpoint.
Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.”
If someone spends four years in a government-run high school and then four more years in a secular college, his processor will be influenced greatly. If that same student goes on to a Bible college, everything he hears will be processed via the “secular processor.” On the other hand, if a student spends four years in a Christian high school and a few years in a Christian college, his processor will be very different. If that same student then attends a secular college (no matter what classes he takes or what degrees he earns), his processor is godly and his reaction to given information will be totally different. We respond to each piece of information that we see, hear, and read; but our view, interpretation, and perception of that information will differ according to our training.
Dr. Hyles, our pastor for many years, told us that he had never drunk liquor or smoked; but after WWII and being in the paratroopers, he had a much softer view toward drinking and smoking. He said that which he once hated, he now thought was not so bad. He had friends who drank and smoked, and they were good guys, so he was more tolerant towards those things. The same scenario has taken place today regarding sodomy, adultery, abortion, the environment, pollution, and, of course, church. That which was once very important is not so important anymore. The wrong has not changed; only our perception has changed.
We are influenced and trained how to view life primarily in our youth. The views of an adult with a godly background will be vastly different from those of an untrained young person regarding that same information.
The constant input from media is shaping our processing ability. From social media to entertainment, from “fake news” to classrooms, our young people are not being trained for a job, they are being trained how to think toward life, people, situations, and even information. It is amazing today how many people have accepted same sex-marriages and man-made climate change and are ready to completely change our Constitution (probably the greatest man-made document in the history of the world). Freedom of thought, freedom of religion, and almost all political freedom in the world is rooted in the early American thinking (founded by many Baptists) and ultimately our Constitution.
Anglicans, Lutherans, and other Protestants wanted no freedom of thought or freedom of religion. Try not having your baby baptized in the mid-1600s, and see how free America was. Baptists and other true, Bible-believers had to reprogram the thinking of Americans and change the process of thinking among religious and political leaders.
I care not what career our young people pursue, but I do care deeply how they are trained to think. I do not care if our young people have very lucrative careers or work as simple laborers (our church is built on people, not money), but I do care who trains the minds of our young people to process information.
There is a “path” and a “way.” Not the specific act, but the direction or way things are seen, done and perceived.
Proverbs 4:14 “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.”
Proverbs 4:19 “The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.”
When you are dating, you should watch to see the WAY your friend thinks and processes information.
When you consider a job, you better figure out how that employer thinks. If you are going to work for someone or with someone in partnership, be sure you know his thought process.
What can we do? Start with faithfulness to church three times a week, and add daily Bible reading along with a substantial amount of preaching during the week, right friends, and a ministry in which you can invest in others.
God will guide our thoughts if we will commit our works to Him.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
Pastor